Hero fireman aged 22 who died while tackling tower block blaze remembered on anniversary of death

Iain McPhee from the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service lost his life whilst bravely fighting a blaze in a tower block in Birmingham.

On July 28, 1992, West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service Control received a 999 call reporting a fire involving a flat on the ninth floor of the twenty-storey Charlecote Tower, Lee Bank.

The fire service mobilised a number of appliances to the incident, including appliances from Ladywood fire station, where firefighter McPhee was based.

On arrival at the scene firefighters were faced with a confirmed fire in progress, in an empty flat located on the ninth floor.

Firefighter McPhee and his friend, firefighter Chris Ryder, were instructed to don breathing apparatus and make entry into the flat to deal with the fire.

Whilst firefighters McPhee and Ryder were inside the flat tackling the fire, there was a sudden and dramatic increase in the temperature and size of the fire, resulting in both firefighters being engulfed by a fireball.

Despite the intense heat and fire - which reached temperatures of 900C - other firefighters including David Burns and David Scott immediately rushed to rescue their trapped colleagues.

Firefighters McPhee and Ryder were rescued from the flat, but had both sustained severe burns during the inferno - with McPhee suffering from 60 per cent burns and Ryder from 46 per cent burns.

The injured firefighters received immediate medical attention, and were transported to hospital, with firefighter McPhee being in a critical condition.

Tragically, despite the best efforts of medical staff, firefighter McPhee died in hospital as a result of the injuries he had sustained. Firefighter Ryder survived and went on to recover.

Firefighter McPhee was accorded a full Brigade funeral which more than 1,000 people attended to pay their respects to the 22-year-old hero.

His coffin was draped in the Union Jack and carried on a turntable ladder, staffed by fellow members of Ladywood Green Watch.

It had been McPhee's childhood ambition to join the fire service and he showed an unwavering willingness to carry out his duties, station officer Barry Steer said.

Firefighter Burns was awarded the George Medal, for his selfless act of bravery, in assisting to rescue his injured colleagues, and firefighter Scott was awarded the Queens Gallantry Medal for the part he played in the rescue.

Sadly it was found that the cause of the fire had been arson, which had been carried out by the 19-year-old female resident of the flat, by setting fire to the bedroom.

She was charged and found guilty of manslaughter and reckless arson, and sentenced to five years in prison.

A spokesperson for the Fire Brigades Union said: "31 years on, never forgotten. We remember firefighter Iain McPhee."